Spitalfields walk

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Hello, dearies! I hope everyone’s doing well and enjoying a much needed sunshine! (Well, at least not us, unlucky ones, that have a bit of sunburn!) The good weather should hold at least a week or two, so it’s always better to plan ahead, take a walk or even go for a little trip. Even though yesterday was an absolute hell around the city, I thought that a walk around Spitalfields was in order, followed by drinks in Canary Wharf.

Spitalfields is a huge market, open 7 days a week in East London. For a lot of us who live in London, east is a quirky place to be. Many up and coming designers, artisans, artists have found their home there and the feel of the place is quite unique. East London most certainly is a different place than every other part of London. And of course it has plenty things to see. Brick Lane is close by (that reminds me, I really should do a post about Brick Lane and Banglatown), much-hyped (for reasons that escape me, honestly) Shoreditch is also close and to the south a short drive away is Borough Market, a foodie’s paradise, and even Canary Wharf. All in all, if you don’t mind walking, Spitalfields is the place to visit on a Saturday morning.

That’s what I did on a hot Saturday afternoon. Armed with my camera (I’m joking, only with my phone), and carrying a bottle of water (seriously, have I mentioned how hot it was?) I decided to venture into Spitalfields Market. The good thing was that it wasn’t so crowded on Saturday, maybe because of the time? You could see stalls everywhere, people leisurely walking by and you could even hear some music. Stalls were selling everything from shoes and headware to quirky tops and from independent designers to interesting paper bags with a twist.

But, I’m getting slightly ahead of myself. The first thing anyone new to the area will notice is the goat sculpture in the entrance of Spitalfields. I Goat is a well-known landmark of the area and a meeting point as well. After that, you reach Spitalfields Market within two minutes. In my opinion, it would be good to go around, see what all the stalls have to offer, maybe do a little purchase and after sit down for lunch in the numerous eateries there (seriously, there’s The Diner, Giraffe, Leon all there!) or grab an ice-cream at nearby Valerie Patisserie. The people working the stalls are all very nice and welcoming, so I think it would be great to have a chat with them as well, to see their perspective of the market.

While not terribly big, Spitalfields Market holds a special place to my heart now, because you can do a lot there with just a short walking distance from Liverpool Street Station. And even if you pick Moorgate, it’s just 15 minutes on foot! Of course, I wouldn’t do it during the week with my high heels, but what I want to say is that everything is just so near!

After my short walk around the area, I stopped at Valerie Patisserie for an ice-cream. Okay, it may not have been Italian gelato, but it was still a nice (and welcome) reprieve from the heat. After the ice-cream, and it was almost 5.30, I caught a bus to Canary Wharf, where I’d meet friends for drinks by the riverside. For all of you, put off by all the roadworks, I cannot recommend enough 28 West for drinks! The place is just fabulous, the view is amazing and my rosé wine was properly chilled. The weather was perfect for sitting outside, and it was very nice seeing friends, who I haven’t seen in a while, because of my hand problem. Overall, an afternoon and evening well-spent, even though I eventually reached home later than I expected. But that happens, right?

For all of you who want to visit the Market, just beware that it closes down at 5 and vendors start to tidy up around 4.20-4.30. I’d suggest picking an earlier time, just to get a proper feel of the area.